Mike Pence Biography

Mike Pence is an American politician, serving as the 50th governor of Indiana since 2013. This biography of Mike Pence provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Mike Pence is an American politician, serving as the 50th governor of Indiana since 2013. A conservative and a supporter of the Tea Party movement, he had previously represented Indiana's 2nd congressional district and Indiana's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013. In July 2016, Pence was named the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2016 election. Born into a Catholic family with political leanings, he became interested in politics at an early age due to the influence of his family. As a young man, he idolized former President John F. Kennedy and was later inspired by Ronald Reagan. He went on to graduate from Hanover College and earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law following which he ventured into a legal career. He began a career in radio talk in the 1990s even as he tried to enter politics. After years of unsuccessful attempts, he finally was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District in 2000. From there his political career has been on a rise and he went on to become the Governor of Indiana in 2013.

Childhood & Early Life

Michael Richard "Mike" Pence was born on June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana, as one of six children of Nancy Jane (née Cawley) and Edward J. Pence, Jr. His parents were Irish Catholic Democrats and he was raised in a politically inclined religious household. His father was a U.S. Army veteran who operated a series of gas stations.

Mike graduated from Columbus North High School in 1977. Growing up in a family with political leanings, he idolized former President John F. Kennedy, and volunteered for the Bartholomew County Democratic Party during his school days.

He proceeded to earn a B.A. in history from Hanover College in 1981 following which he studied law at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1986.

Career

Mike Pence began his career as an attorney in private practice. Around this time he also tried to enter into politics and ran unsuccessfully for a congressional seat in 1988 and 1990. He did not give up though and was able to become the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation in 1991.

In 1994, he began a career in talk radio and hosted ‘The Mike Pence Show’, which was based in WRCR-FM in Rushville. Syndicated by Network Indiana, the show was aired on weekdays on 18 stations throughout the state. Starting from 1995, he also hosted a weekend political talk show out of Indianapolis.

He ended his broadcast career in the late 1990s and ran for Congress again in 2000, this time getting elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District. Over the course of his political career he was re-elected four more times by comfortable margins. Pence served as the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative House Republicans, from 2005 to 2007.

His increasingly successful career prompted Pence to announce in 2011 that he would seek the Republican nomination for governor of Indiana in 2012. In November 2012, Pence won the gubernatorial election, defeating Democratic nominee John R. Gregg and Libertarian nominee Rupert Boneham. He was sworn in as the 50th governor of Indiana on January 14, 2013.

As the governor, he gained much popularity for his tax reforms. He was successful in cutting state taxes, and also reduced the burden of income tax and eliminated the inheritance tax. He also implemented tax reforms aimed at strengthening the state’s competitive edge in attracting new investment and good-paying jobs for residents of Indiana.

During his term, Indiana's job growth lagged slightly behind the national trend and in 2014, Indiana's economy was among the slowest-growing in the U.S., with 0.4%GDP growth, compared to the national average of 2.2%.

He worked with the Indiana General Assembly to craft a balanced budget that maintains strong reserves for the State and continues to generate a surplus. He also implemented steps to steer funds toward infrastructure improvements. His fiscal reforms have helped Indiana maintain its AAA credit rating and by 2016, the state was enjoying a $2 billion budget surplus.

Pence decided to run for a second term as governor in the Indiana gubernatorial election in 2016. However, after Donald Trump selected Pence as his vice presidential running mate, Pence chose to end his gubernatorial campaign.

Major Works

As the Governor of the State of Indiana, Mike Pence successfully achieved the largest state tax cut in Indiana history while also lowering the business personal property tax and corporate income tax, and eliminating the inheritance tax. He also worked with the Indiana General Assembly to craft a balanced budget that maintains strong reserves for the State and continues to generate a surplus.

Awards & Achievements

The Tax Foundation honored him with the 2013 Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform award.

In 2015, the Indiana Hospital Association gave the John C. Render Award for Health Policy to Mike Pence.

Personal Life & Legacy

Mike Pence married Karen in 1985. His wife is a former elementary school teacher who has also been in involved youth-related nonprofit organizations. The couple has three children.